Expansion buckle



y 1952 J. R. WHITEHOUSE I 2,604,632

- EXPANSION BUCKLE Filed June 16, 1949 I. 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII rlIII/IIIIII/ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 29, 1952 NTio =icE EXPANSION BUCKLE John Ralph Whitehouse,

signer to Hickok Man Rochester, N. -Y.,

Rochester, N. Y., 345- uiacturing Company, Inc.," a corporation of New York Application June 16, meatless. 99,555 7 personal wear.

One object of the present inventionis to provide in a resilient and expansiblebelt or band buckle, a' simple and. inexpensive assembly of parts which are operatively connected together and to an anchor plate, requiring only the need to apply the preassembled parts to the belt or band by merely securing the anchor plate fixedly to, the belt or band. Another object of the present invention is to provide in a resilient and expansible belt or band fastening buckle a simple and inexpensive assembly of parts wherein the parts are coupled closelytogether and easily and readily applied in assembled condition to the belt or band.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a resilient and expansible belt. or band buckle wherein'after assembly of all of theparts together for operationQone of the parts is secured to the inner face of the belt or band adjacent one end thereof and such end of the belt or hand then folded back upon the body ofthe belt or band over the resilient and expansible parts of the assembly and sewed or stitched'to the body 'of the belt or band and in such a way as to provide a loop in which all of the parts, except aportion of the buckle and its tongue, are enclosed within the belt or band. i

With the above and other objectsin view, the invention consists in the construction 'and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction, within'the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing: any of the advantages of the invention.-

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective {View of abelt or band embodyingthe invention,the belt-or band being i- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the belt or band fastened together f I Fig. 3 is a face v'iew"'of' theresilient and expansible assembly prior to foldi'nga part of one end of'the belt orband ba'ckov'er the body of thebeltiorband; v Fig; 4 is a'longitudinal sectional'view taken on the line 4-.4:of;1iig."2; 1 j Fig; 5 is atransverse sectional view taken on theline:.5+5:'of Flg. 3; l: '1 5 B, extends through a slot and 20of the U 7 formation in cross-section,

Referring now moreparticularly to the accompanying drawing, the reference character A indicates a belt orband-for personal wear and may be composed of any suitable material.

' The belt or band A is provided near one end with spaced perforations 6 to provide for the interchangeable reception of the tongue 1, pivoted at its inner end and slidable on the rear bar 8 of a substantially rectangular open buckle frame B for the usual adjustable adaptation of the belt to the comfort of the wearer.

The belt or band at the end opposite the said perforated end has a portion 9 which is folded over on the body of the belt or band and sewed or stitched, as at H) and II, to the inner face of the body of the belt or band in a manner such as to provide a short loop l2 in which the buckle'frame B slides with its outer end projecting beyond said loop l2. The said tongue 1, pivoted to the rear bar 8 of the buckle frame [3 at the outer end of said loop l2 to engage the front bar M of the open buckle framefsaid slot I3 being of a length to permit the tongue 1 to slide in said slot I3 under influence of pivotal movement of said tongue 1 on the rear bar 8 frame. The belt or band A has the usual guide loop l5 secured thereto in any suitable manner between the body of the belt or band A and the folded over portion 9 thereof.

To render the buckle belt or band buckle fastening resilient and expansiblefor' the wearing comfort of the wearer, an assembly of parts has been made up in a manner to provide for easy and ready organization of the parts and a subsequent application of the structural features as a closely coupled, simple and inexpensive unit or assembly. The newresilient and expansive buckle fastening structure is formedand connected to the buckle A in w to take away from the finished'belt or band the usual appearance of articles of the instant character. 5' To these ends, the new assembly consists of ashort, narrow anchor plate [6 having short, spaced, upstanding'tubularsleeves l7 and I 8 at the inner end thereof.

A'substantially U-shaped, elongated, narrow member C is provided with spaced legs l9 and 20 and a connecting bight portion. The legs l9 -shaped member are of round throughout ,their lengths except at their extremities beyond said tubular sleeves, where they are flattened and bent loosely around the rear bar 8 .of the. buckleIframe of the buckle a manner such as not r s A, as indicated at 2| and 22, respectively, thus forming a permanent but pivotal connection between the U-shaped spring holder C and the rear bar 8 of the buckle frame, and between which flattened and bent portions 2| and 22, the buckle tongue 1 is pivoted, as shown. These flattened and bent portions 2| and, 22 form stops for engagement with the outer ends of the tubular sleeves l1 and I8 of the anchor plate [6 upon retraction of the buckle frame A incident to expansion of a light gauge resilient spring 23 supported on and conforming substantially to the size and shape of the aforesaid substantially U-shaped member C, the free ends of said spring bearing constantly against'theinner ends of the said tubular sleeves l1 and 18' to provide for effective compression of the expansible spring 23 in any outward sliding movement of the U-shaped member C. The sleeves I1 and l8'of the anchor plate are adjacent the flattened ends -2l. and 22 of the U -shaped-member-Cami with the connection 'of the latter with the buckle constitute the sole support -of the U-shaped member.

s Thus it will-beseen that the buckle frame B andtits tongue, along with-"the U-shaped member C and ,the resilient and expansible spring 23' and the anchor plate lfi, are organized into asunit or assembly andas such the assembly needsto'be merely anchored -to the inner face of the belt or band byjrivetsid and 25. The

buckle end-portion 915f the belt or band is then folded inwardly across'theslot 3 with the buckle tongue protruding through said slot 13. The

folded back portion -9 "is' then sewed or stitched to the inner- -faceof the' body of the belt or band, asindicatedat l0 andH. V V

I The-completed article is 'such that all parts of the assembly, except 'portions of the buckle frame and'buckle tongue, are effectively concealed within the belt or band when worn. It will be apparent that the new beltor band takes on-thegeneral appearance of similar articles and yet providing for resilience and expansiveness for the comfort of the wearer.

, but pivotallyconnected to the rear bar of said frame on opposite sides of the pivotal connection of said tongue with'the rear bar of the frame thus maintaining the tongue substantially medial of the frame, and a coiled spring supported on said U-shaped member and taking the shape of the latter and jhavin'g' the free ends thereof constantly bearingagainst'the inner ends of said sleeves, and said sleeves serving as a stop for the rear bar of the buckle when the -buckle is in a retracted position. 7

'2. A resilient "and .expansible belt or band buckleassembly, comprising an open,.substan-' tially rectanguar shaped bucklej'fra'me, a tongue pivotally connected to the rear bar of said frame,

an anchor plate having integral s'paced, upstand ing, 'open ended sleeves 'fbririihgkth'dguides, the anchor plate being permanently attached to the belt, a U-shaped member including spaced legs and a connecting bight portionat the inner end thereof, the legs of said U-shaped member being the frame thus maintaining the 'itonguei substantially medial of the frame, and a coiled spring supported on said U-shaped member and taking the shape of the latter and having the free ends thereof bearing against the inner ends of said sleeves, the pivotal connections of the said 'legs'ofithe" U -shaped member with the rear bar of the open buckle frame constituting spaced stops for engagement with the guide sleeves to limit inward movement of the frame against the expanding action of said spring.

3. A resilient and eigpansible buckle for belts or hands for personakwearincludin an vopen buckle 'frame and a "tongue pivoted ,to thejrear bar of the frame and extensibleover the front bar of the frame, an anchor ,plate permanently secured within .the'belt or band and having integral sleeves on'opposite sides thereof, at one end of the same and in",'a"'difierent plane, a ,U-

shaped memberzhaving the opposite legs thereof parallel and slidable infltheirespective sleeves and their free ends pivotally connected to the rear bar of said open frame,,a.'s'ingle coiled spring supported in U-shapedfcrm v.on' said ,U :shaped member and bearing constantly at its .free .ends against the inner "ends cf the respective aforesaid sleeves, said sleeves atltheir outer en'ds forming stops for engagement by'the-aforesaid pivotally secured ends ofltheIaforesaid- U-shaped member to'limitinwardmovement of the buckle frame on the'be'lt or Tband. V

4. An assembly of closelycoupled-elements for association with a belt ori-band fastening buckle to render the fastening resilient and expansible for the com'fort of the 'wearer, comprising an anchor plate fixedly attached to the belt adjacent the buckle, a U -shaped member including spaced parallel .legs and a connecting :bight portion at the inner end thereof, said legs being slidably engageable at their 'outer ends with spaced guide sleeves integral with the anchor plate at each side thereof and ,-in*a different plane, the free ends of'thelegs -being'fiattened and permanently but pivotally connected to a rear bar of the buckle, t he;s1idable connection of the legs of the vU +shaped -rne nber :with portions of .theanchorpl-ate and theirpi otal connection at their inner en'ds with the buckle constituting thesole ,Ineans forssuppqrt if the shaped member, and a coiled:- spring a supported onthelegs andbight i n ojrtion of :-the; U-shaped member, the-free ends :of said spring bearing constantly against the inngr engi:pgrtiqnsmf-jhe sleeves. V Q j I The assembly of lerne nts as;v defined; ingand by :s 4 wh e n the. cuter-en o t o lo the sleeves serve as stop means for the flattened p ti ns fth u -shaped member tnat: are pivotally connected to the rear the buckleis-in a -retracts y 6. A resilient and egpansible ibuckle '1 for':belts or bands for personal; Wearq-having:a buckle end and a free end including an op'enibnckle frame anda tongue pivotedto. thezrearlbarlof the frame and extensible over the frontzgbarrof thetfr'ame, n ane o r a e-flx dln secured ewithin the 'belt or band adjacent the buckle endfitheplate having open-ended spaced sleeves on opposite sides thereof at one end of the same and in a dilferent plane, a U-shaped member including spaced legs and a connecting bight portion at the inner end thereof, the legs being slidable in the open-ended sleeves, the free ends of the legs being permanently but pivotally connected to the rear bar of the frame on opposite sides of the tongue thus maintaining the tongue substantially medial of the frame, the anchor plate through the slidable connection of the U-shaped member with 10 the sleeves constituting the sole means of connection of the buckle to the belt, and a single coiled spring supported in U-shaped form on the U-shaped member and bearing constantly at its free ends against the inner ends of the respective aforesaid sleeves, the sleeves at their outer ends forming stops for engagement by the pivotally secured ends of the U-shaped member to limit inward movement of the buckle frame on the belt or band.

JOHN RALPH WHITEI-IOUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

